Preparation of multicomponent catalysts

ABSTRACT

Method of producing a multicomponent hydrocarbon conversion catalyst comprising coprecipitating a mixture of at least three different metal compounds at a pH of 5.5 to 8, at least one of said compounds being a compound of palladium, at least one of said compounds being a metal chloride, reducing the chloride content of the coprecipitate to below about 0.25 percent of the total weight thereof, drying the coprecipitate, and heat treating the dried coprecipitate by contact with an oxygen-containing gas at 850* to 1,600* F. for 0.25 to 48 hours.

United States Patent Jaffe 1 *Jan. 25, 1972 PREPARATION OF [56] References Cited MULTICOMPONENT CATALYSTS UNITED STATES PATENTS [721 Berkeley Calif' 3,280,040 10/1966 Jaffe l l .252/453 x [73] Assignee: Chevron Research Company, San Fran- 3,401,125 9/1963 Jaffc 53/443 X cisco, Calif. 3,523,912 8/1970 Jaffe .252/44l X Notice: The portion of the term of this patent sub- Primary Examiner patrick P. Garvin to 1983 has been AttarneyA. L. Snow, Frank E. Johnston, Charles J. Tonkin and Roy H. Davies [22] Filed: July 23, 1969 [57] ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 844,194

Method of producing a multicomponent hydrocarbon conver- Related U.S. Application Data sion catalyst comprising coprecipitating a mixture of at least three different metal compounds at a pH of 5.5 to 8, at least [631 commuanon'm'pagta of Ng1 3 one of said compounds being a compound of palladium, at

1968 w a commu-auon'm' least one of said compounds being a metal chloride, reducing P of N 1966 the chloride content of the coprecipitate to below about 0.25 which a g g percent of the total weight thereof, drying the coprecipitate, 369,583, May 22, 1964, Pat. No. 280,0 and heat treating the dried coprecipitate by contact with an t t 850 t 1,600 F. f 0.25 t 48 52 U.S.Cl ..2s2/441,252 439,252 442, ammg gas a 0 252/452, 252/453 [51] Int. Clll/78 6 Claims, N0 Drawings [58] Field ofSearch ..252/439,441,442, 452,453

1 PREPARATION OF MULTICOMPONENT CATALYSTS RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-in-part of copending Joseph .laffe application Ser. No. 756,396, for Preparation of MultiComponent Catalysts, filed Aug. 30, 1968, now Pat. No. 3,523,912 which in turn is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 568,760, filed July 29, 1966, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,401,125, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 369,583, filed May 22, 1964, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,280,040.

INTRODUCTION This invention relates to a method for producing solid, coprecipitated mixtures containing at least one metal oxide and also having a minimum of three components, all of said components having been coprecipitated simultaneously.

As is well known to those skilled in the catalyst art, a gel, including both xerogels and aerogels, is produced by dehydration, generally by heating, of a hydrogel or gelatinous precipitate. A hydrogel can be defined as a rigid material containing a continuous phase of a network of colloidal particles and an imbibed liquid phase. A gelatinous precipitate is similar to a hydrogel, but without the characteristic of a rigid structure. It is also well known that metal oxide-containing gels have long been employed as catalysts and/or catalyst supports. Numerous methods of making such composites have been suggested, most of which have been directed to the particular components of the initial gel, the manner of forming the gel, and in various techniques for removing undesirable components from the formed gel.

OBJECTS An object of the present invention is to provide a process for producing catalysts, particularly hydrocracking and denitrification catalysts, that have unusually high activity for their intended purposes. Another object is to provide a process for manufacturing certain catalysts of greater regenerability than other similar catalysts. Further objects will be apparent from the disclosures herein.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION The present invention is directed to a method for producing a coprecipitated solid containing at least one metal oxide and having a minimum of three components therein, said components having been coprecipitated simultaneously, which comprises the steps:

a. Coprecipitating a mixture of at least three different metal compounds at a pH of from about 5.5 to about 8, said mixture having all of the following characteristics:

1. said mixture being a solution or a sol,

2. at least one of said metal compounds being a compound of a metal whose solid oxide has catalytic isomerization activity, alone or in admixture with a different metal compound,

3. at least one of said metal compounds being a compound of a metal, preferably palladium, the sulfide, oxide or metal form of which has catalytic hydrogenation activity,

4. at least one of said metal compounds being a metal chloride;

b. Reducing the chloride content of the resulting coprecipitate to below about 0.25 percent of the total weight thereof; and

c. Drying the resulting coprecipitate.

Prior Art Partial impregnation Methods Contrasted As indicated, the present method, requiring the simultaneous coprecipitation of the hydrogel composite, produces a gelatinous material containing at least three different precipitated metal compounds. This must be contrasted with the method of preparing a three-component solid composite as, for example, by cogelling only two metal compounds, dehydrating the two-component coprecipitate, and thereafter disposing a third metal component onto the coprecipitate by such conventional techniques as impregnation or sublimation. Although additional metal components can be impregnated upon the coprecipitate composite produced by dehydration of the hydrogel of the present process if desired, it is required that this initial coprecipitate be composed of at least three different metal compounds.

Advantages of Process of Present Invention A major reason for the simultaneous coprecipitation is that it has been found that the catalysts produced in this manner are very much superior to three-component catalysts produced by such other methods as by dual impregnation of a single oxide support, or even those made by impregnating a third component on a coprecipitated two-component carrier. This marked superiority has been exemplified in the comparison of numerous catalysts. For example, three-component hydrocracking catalysts prepared according to the present method have been found to possess higher catalyst activities, lower fouling rates, and better selectivities than catalysts of similar composition prepared by other methods. The reasons for this superiority are not completely understood, but it is believed that the reduction of trace contaminants, with perhaps a different and more favorable association of the catalytic functions than heretofore obtained, leads to these improved results.

Mixture of Three Different Metal Compounds in Solution or Sol Form In addition to the requirement that at least three difierent metal compounds be present in the initial mixture, a number of additional restrictions as to the character of these compounds must be met. These compounds must be such that when admixed the resulting mixture is in the form of a solution and/or sol, so as to attain uniform dispersion throughout the mixture.

At Least One Compound of a Metal Whose Solid Oxide has Catalytic lsomerization Activity Further, the present method requires that at least one of the initial metal salts (that will subsequently be converted to the corresponding oxide by dehydration of the coprecipitate) be a compound of a metal whose solid oxide, alone or in admixture with a different metal compound, possesses catalytic isomerization activity. Such activity is almost universally dependent upon the particular metal oxide being acidic in character. Although a number of metal oxides, alone or in admixture with a different metal compound, possess this isomerization activity, a compound of aluminum has been found to be particularly effective for use in the subject method, because alumina alone and in combination with at least one compound of at least one different metal has the desired isomerization activity. Some metal oxides do not possess the desired isomerization activity alone, but can be combined with at least one other metal oxide to produce a mixture having high-isomerization activity. For example, silica alone has essentially no isomerization activity, but when combined with alumina, magnesia, zirconia, titania thoria, hafnia, or the like, the mixture has high-isomerization activity. Accordingly, in the present process an aluminum salt should be employed in the initial mixture, or a combination of at least two of the following metal salts: aluminum, magnesium, silicon, titanium, thorium, zirconium, hafnium, and such rare earths as cerium, samatium, and europium. Preferred combinations are silica-alumina, in amorphous form or in the form of a crystalline zeolitic molecular sieve, silica-alumina-titania, silica-alumina-zirconia, and silica-magnesia, with silica-alumina-titania being especially preferred.

At Least One Compound of a Metal, Preferably Palladium, the Sulfide, Oxide or Metal Form of Which Has Hydrogenation Activity In addition to the use of at least one salt of a metal whose solid oxide, alone or in admixture with a different metal compound, possesses catalytic isomerization activity, it is required that the initial mixture contain at least one metal compound precursor of a Group VI and/or Group VIII metal, metal sulfide, and/or metal oxide hydrogenating component of the final catalytic material, preferably a palladium compound. Preferably, at least one salt of the Group VI or Group VIII metals is used in the initial mixture in the present process, preferably a palladium salt. At least one salt of a Group VI metal may be used together with at least one salt of a Group VIII metal, preferably a palladium salt, to produce highly desirable catalysts containing, for example, as such or in the form of compounds, nickel and molybdenum and nickel and tungsten. A palladium compound, preferably a salt, can be used to advantage together with a different Group VIII compound, preferably a salt, for example a compound of nickel, iron or cobalt. A palladium compound, preferably a salt, also can be used to advantage together with a manganese compound, preferably a salt. Where a palladium compound together with a different Group VIII compound or a manganese compound is used, the additional presence of a crystalline zeolitic molecular sieve component in the final catalyst is especially beneficial.

When it is desired to produce by the present method a catalyst comprising nickel or a compound thereof in combination with silica-alumina, an unusually active catalyst can be made by including a tin salt, e.g., stannous chloride, in the initial mixture. It has been found that tin or a compound thereof in the final catalyst increases the hydrogenation activity of the nickel or nickel compound, or at least that the combination has greater hydrogenation activity than nickel or a nickel compound alone.

At Least One Metal Chloride The requirement that at least one of the metal components in the initial mixture be a metal chloride presents somewhat of an anomaly inasmuch as a subsequent step in the preparation involves the reduction of the chloride level below about 0.25 percent of the total weight of the final coprecipitate. This anomaly resides in the fact that it has been found that chloride, in addition to certain other components such as sulfates and alkali metal compounds, have a deleterious effect upon the activity, regenerability, and/or the fouling rate of a number of catalysts. However, in view of the process advantages of using chloride salts due to their readiness to form solutions with other metal compounds, their commercial availability and relatively low price, it is often desirable to employ them. Thus, the present invention requires that at least one of the metal salts in the initial mixture be a chloride while also requiring that the chloride level of the final coprecipitate be reduced to below 0.25 percent by weight, and preferably below about 0.1 percent by weight, of the final composite.

A compound of Titanium When titanium, in the metal, oxide or sulfide form, is present in the final catalyst prepared by the process of the present invention as a result of the presence of a compound thereof in the initial mixture, it has been found that catalyst activity is significantly higher than when titanium or zirconium in one of these forms is not present. The titanium, or compound thereof, preferably is present in the final catalyst in the amount of 3 to percent by weight, based on the total catalyst. The higher activity is noted for both denitrification,

in the case of denitrification catalysts, and for hydrocracking, in the case of hydrocracking catalysts. The higher activity can be obtained by using zirconium instead of titanium. However, it has been found most unexpectedly that, while zirconium and titanium are essentially equivalent for purposes of activity enhancement of the final catalyst, (a) the catalyst has only moderately good regeneration characteristics when it contains zirconium or a compound thereof, but no titanium or compound thereof, but (b) the catalyst has most excellent regeneration characteristics when it contains titanium or a compound thereof. Accordingly, it is preferred for purposes of the present invention that a compound of titanium be present in the initial mixture. A compound of zirconium also may be present if desired.

Tin or a Compound Thereof When tin, in the metal, oxide or sulfide form, is present in the final catalyst prepared by the process of the present invention, as a result of the presence ofa compound of tin in the initial mixture, it has been found that compared with the same catalyst with no tin present: (a) the cracking activity is higher, in the case of a hydrocracking catalyst; (b) the hydrogenation activity is higher, in the case of both hydrocracking and hydrofining catalysts, and particularly in the case of a hydrocracking catalyst comprising nickel or a compound thereof and silica-alumina; and (c) the hydrogenation activity can be controlled in an essentially reversible manner by varying the amount of sulfur present in the hydrocarbon feed. The tin or compound thereof preferably is present in the amount of l to 30 percent, preferably 2 to 15 percent, by weight, based on the total catalyst.

Molecular Sieve Component Fluorine Component If desired, the finished catalyst of the present invention may be fluorided in a conventional manner. Alternatively, fluorine may be incorporated in the catalyst during manufacture, as by addition of fluorides to the starting materials to incorporate 0.1 to 5 percent fluorine in the finished catalyst.

Representative Catalysts Especially useful catalysts that can be made by the process of the present invention are those having the following combinations of components, the catalysts being useful in the metallic, oxide or sulfide forms:

I. Ni 6. Ni

W W Ti Ti SiO ALO, alone or Al,o, with added molecular sieves 7. Ni 2. Ni W Ti Ti SiO,Al,O alone or Sn with added molecular sieves Al,O 3. Ni 8. Ni Sn Ti Ti Mo SiO,-AI,O, alone or with added molecular sieves SiO,-Al,0, alone or with added molecular sieves 4. Pd 9. Pd

Ti Mo SiO,-Al,O; alone or Ti with added molecular sieves 181,0, 5. Ni l0. Pd

Mo Fe or Mn Ti Si0,-Al,0= alone or Al,0 added molecular sieves Miscellaneous Catalyst Preparation Considerations Any of the catalysts prepared by the present process may be fluorided by conventional methods if desired.

As noted above, it is often preferred that at least a portion of the initial mixture be in the form of a sol. For example, it is generally desirable to employ silica sols when silica is to be a component of the coprecipitate. In such a case, the silica sol can be made by any conventional procedure. A number of methods for producing such a sol are known to those skilled in the art. Thus, silica sols can be made by hydrolyzing tetraethyl orthosilicate with an aqueous HCl solution, or in the presence or absence of solvents, such as alcohols containing one to four carbon atoms per molecule, acetone, methylethyl ketone, and the like. Likewise, silica sols can be prepared by contacting silicon tetrachloride with a cold methanol and water solution, or with 95 percent ethyl alcohol, or with cold water or ice. Also, silica sols can be made by contacting sodium silicate with an ion exchange resin to remove the sodium, or by contact with an acid at a pH of about 2.5 or less. Likewise, if alumina is a desired component of the final coprecipitate, it is entirely feasible to employ alumina sols in the initial mixture. A sol of hydrous alumina can be prepared by reacting aluminum metal with dilute hydrochloric acid or with aluminum chloride solution, with or without a catalyst. Also, alumina sols can be prepared by reacting aluminum metal with a weak acid, such as formic or acetic acid.

As discussed above, at least one of the components of the initial mixture must be a metal chloride, and often it is desirable to incorporate at least I so], such as a silica or alumina sol, in this mixture. Other metal salts can also be present. Suitable salts are the nitrates, citrates, formates, alcoxides and carbonates. Preferably, the acetates are employed. Sulfates are feasible, but often are not desirable because of theadverse effect that sulfates have on some desirable catalyst qualities such as activity and/or fouling rate. If itis desired that silica be present, the silica component can also be derived from sodium silicate, tetraethyl orthosilicate, silicon tetrachloride, and potassium silicate.

Following formation of the initial mixture, it is then coprecipitated, at a pH between about 5.5 and about 8, by conventional techniques. Thus, the initial mixture, if acidic, can be precipitated by the addition of a base. If the mixture is basic, it can be precipitated with an acid. The precipitation can be stepwise, as by a form of titration, or simultaneous, as by mixing of metered solutions in the proper ratios. It is apparent from the above discussion that any precipitating agent should preferably not introduce any components in the mixture that are deleterious, i.e., sulfate or excess alkali, although chloride can be introduced if necessary, since the chloride content of the coprecipitate will be subsequently reduced by washing and anion exchange.

As an example of a conventional precipitation procedure,

employed in producing a silica-alumina-metal containing coprecipitate, sodium silicate can be dispersed into a solution of aluminum and metal chlorides containing an excess of acid, such as acetic acid, HCI, HNO etc., to form a silica sol in the presence of dissolved metals. Ammonia can then be added to the mixture to coprecipitate the component hydrous oxides at a pH of from about 5.5 to 8. Precipitation of an acidic initial mixture with ammonia, as exemplified, is a preferred technique of the present method.

Following precipitation of the hydrous oxides, the excess liquid is removed, as by filtration. The resulting solid cake, still essentially composed of hydrous oxides, is then treated to remove impurities and to reduce the chloride content to the required level, for example by washing and ion exchange. Washing can be done in one or more steps, using water or dilute aqueous solutions of ammonium salts of weak organic acids having a Dissociation Constant K of 10 or less. Said salts include ammonium formate, ammonium acetate, ammonium propionate and ammonium butyrate. Ammonium acetate is preferred. Salts of stronger organic acids are unsatisfactory because the resulting lower pH causes leaching out of valuable metals. Salts of organic acids should be used because organic acids are more decomposable than inorganic acids. During or after washing and recovery of the filter cake, the latter is preferably ion exchanged in the presence of formate ion, acetate ion, propionate ion, butyrate ion, or other similar organic ion derived from ammonium salts of weak organic acids having a Dissociation Constant K of 10 or less. The exact function of the formate, acetate or other ion during the anion exchanging step is unknown, but, when compared to catalysts prepared by coprecipitation methods where there is no such ion present during the exchanging operation, there is no doubt that the presence of the ion leads to catalysts having superior activities, regenerability and/or fouling rates. With catalysts containing certain components, as for example nickel, molybdenum and tungsten, the presence of the ion apparently provides a buffering action at a pH of 6 or 7 which minimizes the loss of soluble metals during washing and/or anion exchange of the coprecipitate. In the case of acetate ion, for example, the ion can be introduced by acidifying with acetic acid or by employing soluble metal acetates, or in the washing liquid employed to wash the coprecipitate, or, for the first time, by employing ammonium acetate as the anion exchanger. Preferably, the ion is introduced into the initial mixture and also is present in the wash water in the washing step and also in any subsequent ion exchange step.

The treatment of the anhydrous oxides following precipitation (bearing in mind the requirement discussed above with respect to the presence of acetate or similar ion) in order to prepare a solid composite suitable for use as a catalyst, follows practices known in the art insofar as the actual steps of washing, anion exchange and aging are concerned. In any case, the finally washed, ion exchanged and filtered cake of coprecipitate is then dried, as for example in air or inert gases, at a temperature of from about to 300 F. The coprecipitate is then calcined, generally at a temperature of from about 750 to l,l00 F., in the presence of an oxygen containing gas. In catalysts wherein the hydrogenating component is at least one metal or compound of molybdenum, tungsten, nickel or cobalt incorporated within a coprecipitate containing silica as a component, for example silica in admixture with alumina and titania it is preferred to thermactivate (heat treat) the calcined composite by contact with an oxygen-containing gas stream at a temperature of from about 850 to l,600 F., preferably 1,200" to 1,600 F., more preferably l,250 to 1,400 F., for a period in excess of about 0.25 hours, preferably 0.25 to 48 hours. Said oxygen-containing gas stream may be air, and preferably is dried in a convenient manner to reduce the moisture content thereof a substantial amount compared with ambient air. The thermactivation treatment has been found to optimize the activity of such catalysts.

EXAMPLES Catalyst 1 Catalyst 2 (comparison catalyst) (prepared by present process) Parts by Parts bv wt. of wt. of Solution 1A components sol. IA Solution IIA components sol. IIA

(a) Acidic solutions Hi h.

Continued Catalyst 1 Catalyst 2 (comparison catalyst) (prepared by present process) Parts by Parts by wt. of wt. of Solution 1A components sol. IA Solution IIA components sol. IIA

AlCli A 70. 8 A1013 l 70.8 Zi'0Cl None 'llCh. 13.3 (N020) (3 25. 1 Acetic in lll 53 H1O 2, 060 '7 (b) Alkaline Solutions Parts by Parts by wt. of wt. of Solution IB components sol. 1B Solution IIB components sol. I113 25. 3 W03 25. 3 None NaOH. 7. 5 108 NHiOH 108 823 H 815. 5

v Ml PEKQP 9919 9 manat o sqhlt as Solutions IA and HA, acidic solutions of metals and sodium silicate, were neutralized with alkaline tungsten Solutions 18 and "B, respectively, by mixing Solution IA with Solution 18, and by mixing Solution "A with Solution "B. Each mixture was a gel slurry with a pH of about 7.0. In each case the gel was filtered, dried to about 70 percent volatiles, formed into ia-inch diameter particles, washed and ion exchanged with 1 percent ammonium acetate solution to reduce the sodium and chloride contents to a low level, including less than 0.25 weight percent chloride, dried and calcined at 950 F.

B. Composition of Final Fresh Catalyst, Prior to Sulfiding C. Area and Pore Volume of Final Fresh Catalyst, Prior to Sulfiding Catalyst 1 Catalyst 2 Area. Mlg. 299 360 Pore volume, cc./g. 0.39 0.353

D. Sulfiding Fresh catalysts l and 2 each were sulfided with dimethyl disulfide in a conventional manner. E. Use of Fresh Sulfided Catalysts l and 2 for Hydrofining Fresh catalyst l and 2 were used in separate runs to hydrofine a Midway gas oil with a boiling range of 500-900 F., containing 3,000 p.p.m. organic nitrogen. Each run was conducted at 0.5 LHSV, 1,400 p.s.i.g., and a hydrogen exit gas rate of 3,600 s.c.f. per barrel of gas oil feed, on a once-through oil and hydrogen basis. The organic nitrogen content of the liquid product was maintained at 0.3 p.p.m. by adjustment of catalyst temperature, which was required to be 75575 7 F. at the start ofthe runs. F. Catalyst Fouling Rate, F. per Hour, During Runs ofE Run with Catalyst 1 0.026

Run with Catalyst 2 0.035

G. Regeneration Catalysts l and 2, after being used until regeneration was required. each were regenerated with an oxygen-containing gas in a conventional manner. H. Area and Pore Volume of Regenerated Catalyst, Prior to Sulfiding Cumlylt I Catalyst 2 Area, M'Ig. 204 217 Pore volume. ccJg. 0.35l 0.325

I. Sulfiding Regenerated catalysts 1 and 2 were resulfided with dimethyl disulfide in a conventional manner. J. Use of Regenerated Sulfided Catalysts 1 and 2 for Hydrofinmg Regenerated catalysts 1 and 2 were used in separate runs to hydrofine the Midway gas oil described under E, under the conditions described under E, except for starting temperature, with the organic nitrogen content of the liquid product again being maintained at 0.3 p.p.m. by adjustment of catalyst temperature, which was required to be 758-76l F. at the start of the runs. K. Catalyst Fouling Rate, F. per Hour, During Runs 0 Run with Regenerated Catalyst 1 0.075

Run with Regenerated Catalyst 2 0.043

Catalyst 3 (a) Acidic Solution Solution Parts by Wt. Components of Solution MC], 22 AlCl; 78.5 TiCl. 23.7 1 44.7 Acetic Acid 50 H 0 2.065

(b) Alkaline Solution WO I21: NaOH 38 NH OH H 0 702 B. Composition of Final Fresh Catalyst 3 Prior to Sulfiding Parts by Wt. of Component Total Catalyst NiO [2.7 wo, 12.5 TiO, 10 A1 0; 30 Bio, 34.7

C. Area and Pore Volume of Final Fresh Catalyst 3 Prior to Sulfiding Area, Mlg. Pure volume, cci/g.

D. Sulfiding Catalyst 3 was sulfided with dimethyl disulfide in a conventional manner.

E. Use of Fresh Sulfided Catalyst 3 for Hydrocracking Fresh catalyst 3 was used to hydrocrack, without prior hydrofining, an Arabian gas oil with a boiling range of 650l 000 F., containing 600 ppm. organic nitrogen. The hydrocracking conditions were 1.5 LHSV, 1,200 p.s.i.g., hydrogen exit gas rate of 6,000 s.c.f. per barrel of gas oil feed, on a once-through oil and hydrogen basis, at a constant conversion of 50 percent per pass to products boiling below 650 F., the conversion being obtained at the start with a catalyst temperature of 741 F., and being maintained by subsequent adjustment of catalyst temperature. F. Catalyst Fouling Rate, F. per Hour, of Fresh Catalyst 3 During Run of E G. Regeneration Catalyst 3, after being used until regeneration was required, was regenerated with an oxygen-containing gas in a conventional manner. H. Area and Pore volume of Regenerated Catalyst 3 Prior to Area,M /g. 282

Pore Volume, cc./g. 0.332 I. Sulfiding Regenerated catalyst 3 was resulfided with dimethyl disulfide in a conventional manner.

J. Use of Regenerated Sulfided Catalyst 3 for Hydrocracking Regenerated and resulfided catalyst 3 was used to hydrocrack, without prior hydrofining, the Arabian gas oil described under E, under the conditions described under E, except for starting temperature, with the conversion again being maintained at 50 percent per pass to products boiling below 650 F., the conversion being obtained at the start with a catalyst temperature of 743 F., and being maintained by subsequent adjustment of catalyst temperature.

K. Catalyst Fouling Rate, F. per Hour, of Regenerated Catalyst 3 During Run of J From the foregoing it may be seen that regenerated catalyst 3 had a lower fouling rate than when it was fresh, and was able to accomplish the same per-pass conversion of the feed at a starting temperature only 2 F. higher than when it was fresh. Catalyst 3 regenerated better than catalyst 2, in that upon regeneration the fouling rate of catalyst 2 was higher than when catalyst 2 was fresh, because of the higher titania content of catalyst 3. In any case, the titania apparently serves a dual purpose it hinders the growth of metal crystallites while the catalyst is in service, and acts during regeneration as an oxidation catalyst to promote combustion of carbonaceous deposits.

As has been described and exemplified above, the present catalyst preparation method is particularly suitable for producing hydrofining, i.e., hydrodenitrification and hydrodesulfurization, catalysts and for producing hydrocracking catalysts. The specific conditions for conducting these various reactions are well known in the art. However, these reactions have many features in common and are herein generically termed hydroprocessing reactions." These reactions all are directed to the conversion of hydrocarbonaceous material and are conducted in the presence of added hydrogen since these reactions will all consume at least 250 s.c.f. of hydrogen per barrel of feed contacted. The reaction temperatures will be in the range of from about 500 to 1,000 F., preferably from about 500 to 900 F., and reaction pressures will be in the range of from about 200 to over 3,000 p.s.i.g., and preferably in the range of from about 300 to 2,500 p.s.i.g., depending upon the particular feed employed. Feed rates will generally be in the range of from about 0.l to 10.0 LHSV. Accordingly, catalysts prepared by the subject method are especially suited for use in such hydroprocessing reactions.

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing a coprecipitated solid containing at least one metal oxide and having a minimum of three components therein, said components having been coprecipitated simultaneously, which comprises the steps:

a. Coprecrprtatmg a mixture of at least three different metal compounds at a pH of from about 5.5 to about 8, said mixture having all of the following characteristics:

1. said mixture being a solution or a sol,

2. at least one of said metal compounds being a compound of a metal whose solid oxide has catalytic isomerization activity, alone or in admixture with a different metal compound,

3. at least one of said metal compounds being a compound of palladium,

4. at least one of said metal compounds being a metal chloride;

b. Reducing the chloride content of the resulting coprecipitate to below about 0.25 percent of the total weight thereof; and

c. Drying the resulting coprecipitate.

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein said mixture of at least three different metal compounds contains a molecular sieve component.

3. The method as in claim 1 wherein said mixture of at least three different metal compounds contains a compound of titanium.

4. the method as in claim 1 wherein said mixture of at least three different metal compounds contains a compound of nickel.

5. The method as in claim ll wherein said mixture of at least three different metal compounds contains a compound of iron.

6. The method as in claim 1 wherein said mixture of at least three different metal compounds contains a compound of manganese. 

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein said mixture of at least three different metal compounds contains a molecular sieve component.
 2. at least one of said metal compounds being a compound of a metal whose solid oxide has catalytic isomerization activity, alone or in admixture with a different metal compound,
 3. at least one of said metal compounds being a compound of palladium,
 3. The method as in claim 1 wherein said mixture of at least three different metal compounds contains a compound of titanium.
 4. the method as in claim 1 wherein said mixture of at least three different metal compounds contains a compound of nickel.
 4. at least one of said metal compounds being a metal chloride; b. Reducing the chloride content of tHe resulting coprecipitate to below about 0.25 percent of the total weight thereof; and c. Drying the resulting coprecipitate.
 5. The method as in claim 1 wherein said mixture of at least three different metal compounds contains a compound of iron.
 6. The method as in claim 1 wherein said mixture of at least three different metal compounds contains a compound of manganese. 